Saltykovsky park entrance. Saltykovsky forest park fishing, cycling and isaac levitan. New Holland Christmas Stars

Text: Ekaterina Bogonenkova

The forest has always been here: first as part of the landowners' estates, then as part of the Balashikha district, but the forest park received official status only in 1976. It is located east of the Moscow Ring Road, south of the Reutovo, Saltykovskaya, Kuchino stations of the Gorky direction of the railway, north of the microdistricts Kosino, Kozhukhovo, Pavlino, east of the Novokosino district. Residents of nearby choose the park as a place of recreation.

Illustration: Artem Kozhemyakin

The area of ​​the forest park is 1024 hectares, but since the construction of apartment buildings is now actively going on in Balashikha, this figure has noticeably decreased. The forest park has a special layout: in fact, it is formed by five separate arrays at a distance of 300 m to 4 km from each other and comes close to residential areas. The Saltykovsky forest park is very picturesque, civilization in the form of carousels and ice cream kiosks has not yet reached here, but the Pekhorka River (it has small tributaries) rolls right through the territory. There is enough water here. Two ponds: Yellow and Tarelochkin, where you can safely swim, they are not even particularly deep. Four springs near the estate of the forest park: they say that they even seem to be healing, but you should not believe the rumors. A separate island is an old linden park in the Pavlino microdistrict, where there is also a spring. The trees are very respectable: some are approaching a hundred years old. In the linden park there are individual oaks with trunks over 2 meters in diameter.

It is interesting that ancient kurgan burial grounds of the Slavic tribe of Krivichi have been preserved in the forest park. They are located along the Pekhorka River. In appearance, the burial ground resembles a large anthill: a mound up to 4 m high and up to 12 m in diameter.

In the manor park there are cascading ponds, here you can also see huge lindens, elms, maples, larch, thuja (an extremely rare tree for the temperate zone). Along the walking route, you can admire not only the flora, but also the fauna: rare species of butterflies listed in the Red Book live in the forest park. By the way, it is here that forget-me-nots and lilies of the valley bloom in season - these flowers have disappeared almost everywhere in the Moscow region due to the deteriorating environmental situation.

What to do in the park?

1. Roadside picnics. The main asset of the Saltykovsky forest park is natural conditions for relaxing with friends. Here you can have fun picnics, pick mushrooms and berries, hold military-patriotic games like Zarnitsa - the place is just perfect.
2. Fishermen and fish. It is hard to believe, but nevertheless: the forest park is able to please the whims of the most demanding fisherman. Those who like to sit with a fishing rod in the evening dawn will especially like it. Of course, you can’t call a rich catch, but it’s not the result that matters, but the process itself!
3. I go where I want. On the territory of the Saltykovsky forest park it is unusually pleasant to take a leisurely ride in the summer on a bicycle, as an easy walk. In winter, you can also ride here, who loves what - on horseback, on a sleigh, on skis, on snowmobiles.
4. Creativity in the open air. An ideal nature for a painter or photographer - no matter which way you look, the eye rejoices. The Saltykovsky forest park became a source of inspiration for Isaac Levitan, who painted the painting “Evening after the Rain” here.

Winter St. Petersburg is especially beautiful in the light of hundreds of thousands of garland lights. You can be convinced of this after December 20, when the lights of the New Year tree will be lit on the main square, and the whole city will be decorated with thousands of bright garlands. We are already telling you where incredible decorations imbued with the spirit of the New Year and Christmas will appear very soon. These places, of course, need to be included in your New Year's itinerary.

Christmas tree on Palace Square

The main 25-meter beauty-spruce of the Northern capital grows annually on Palace Square, but few people know that it not only raises the New Year's mood, but is quite capable of fulfilling wishes. After all, she absorbs a piece of winter magic at the very moment when New Year's lights are lit on her. The fact is that, according to tradition, the main Santa Claus of the country from Veliky Ustyug takes part in the ceremony of lighting the lights of the festive tree, and where the grandfather visited with his granddaughter Snegurochka, there remains a noticeable trace of winter magic. The only thing is that you need to make a wish before the New Year: after all, the magic can disappear. It is difficult to say what its expiration date is. In order to make sure that any desire is fulfilled, you can come to the Palace Square on December 24th. On this day, the winter wizard will arrive here in person and light bright lights on the main Christmas tree of St. Petersburg.

m. Admiralteyskaya, Palace Square

On the Birzhevaya line of Vasilyevsky Island, you can find the original Iron House in its own way, although it is remarkable not for its appearance, but for the fact that one of the apartments of this house became the first home for the brilliant composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. You can come here to feel the atmosphere of the holiday and make a New Year's wish. Of course, Tchaikovsky bears little resemblance to a winter magician, but it was he who wrote the music for the most magical and Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker, and this may well be a reason to consider the composer a wish-fulfiller and a symbol of the New Year holidays in the Northern capital.

m. Vasileostrovskaya, Birzhevaya line, 18

New Holland Christmas Stars

About three hundred Christmas stars fell from the night sky and fell on the branches of the trees of the island park. On the eve of the holidays, New Holland was decorated with the magical stars of Gerngut, which shine on the streets of European cities from Copenhagen to London. They create a magical atmosphere of the bright holiday of Christmas, because they are based on the image of the Star of Bethlehem.

m. Sadovaya, emb. Admiralteisky Canal, 2, New Holland

Opposite the famous Circus on the Fontanka, the art object "Circus" is about to be installed - a spruce tree decorated with four-meter toys: an elephant and a tiger jumping through the circus ring. Animals will settle right on the branches of the New Year tree. Trees like this have never been erected before.

m. Gostiny Dvor, emb. Fontanka River, 3a

The image of the well-known character of the Hoffmann fairy tale, which is simply impossible to look at without emotion, will be guessed in the decoration of the spruce on Vosstaniya Square. This will be one of several new themed Christmas trees that have not been seen in St. Petersburg before.

m. Ploschad Vosstaniya

Saltykovsky square

A wonderful winter fountain will appear in Saltykovsky Square by the 20th. He will not murmur, but at night he will please with a wink of bright diodes. And there will also be a gallery of arches, walking under the arches of which, of course, you can take the most New Year's selfie.

metro station Admiralteyskaya, Palace embankment, 32

Citizens and guests of the city will be able to see a special lighting design on Petrovskaya embankment, Bolshaya and Malaya Konyushenny streets.

For the first time in many years, on the square, freed from stalls, the spirit of winter magic will be supported with the help of a beautiful Christmas tree and festive lighting. By the New Year holidays, they promised to install a Christmas tree on Sennaya, and they would add a special charm to the light from 15 lighting structures.

In pursuit of a festive mood, you can go to the city's most popular park on the Neva. A dozen neat wooden houses decorated with bright garlands with gifts for Christmas and New Year on the shelves - all this awaits guests in the open spaces of a small holiday fair, which will run from December 16, 2016 to January 29, 2017.

m. Krestovsky island, Yelagin island, 4

The main Christmas fair of the Northern capital will be located on the square, where, under the roofs of cozy houses, you can buy outlandish New Year's gifts and Christmas decorations, try treats from different countries and make a wish to Santa Claus. The fair is always decorated very beautifully: the lights are shining, a small carousel is winding circles, and cheerful townspeople are sliding along the ice surface of the skating rink. There is also a Christmas tree and a house of Santa Claus. True, this year the big Christmas market will not work for very long - from December 24 to January 8, but this is one of the main places, without which a Christmas walk around St. Petersburg is simply not possible.

m. Pushkinskaya, pl. Pioneer, 1

The historical trading house began to prepare for the holiday already several months in advance. It was decorated with bright garlands and lush chandeliers, and a wonderful Christmas tree was also placed, which the townspeople really liked. In confirmation of this, social networks are literally full of pictures of the festive tree near the Gostinka.

m. Gostiny Dvor

Photo: Alexander Petrosyan, Anton Vaganov, visit-petersburg.ru, public110967672, Egor Rogalev, abc.net.au, Bizbi.Ru, gov.spb.ru, blog.novikova.pro, Pavel Vekshin

Are you getting ready for the New Year? Petersburg has definitely begun to try on a festive outfit. A luxurious Christmas tree has appeared at the Finland Station, shop windows are gradually changing.

In total, 242 million rubles were spent on festive decoration, which is 50 million more than last year. For the first time in ten years, the streets of the Northern capital will be decorated with 18 brand new 14-meter Christmas trees. They were specially ordered to one St. Petersburg enterprise. All are made of artificial material. It took 38 million rubles to update the "New Year's forest" - it turns out to be more than two million for a Christmas tree! But these will not be simple Christmas trees, but real designer ones.

Spruce "Circus"

The one and only spruce called "Circus" will be placed, of course, not far from the Cinizelli Circus, on Belinsky Square. Four-meter tigers and elephants, drums, conjurer's hats and jugglers' clubs, stunt aerialists - a real circus performance will unfold on this spruce.

Spruce "Snow Queen"

But the Snow Queen spruce has two addresses at once: Admiralteyskaya Embankment - directly opposite the Bronze Horseman, and the square at the Moscow Gates. Massive sweeping paws of "forest beauties" will decorate decorative elements stylized as frosty patterns.

Spruce "Retro"

Do you want to plunge into the atmosphere of childhood? Then write down three addresses: the site in front of the Grand Concert Hall "Oktyabrsky" (Ligovsky pr., 6), Moskovsky Square and an island between the 6th and 7th lines of Vasilyevsky Island near the metro station "Vasileostrovskaya". Christmas trees here will be decorated in retro style: real and chocolate cones, glass balls and icicles, sweets, cotton bunny dolls, garlands, a star on top. Or was it different in your childhood?

Spruce "Winter fun"

On the Christmas tree "Winter Fun" you can see huge six-meter skis and skates. Christmas trees with such an original decoration will be installed on Shevchenko Square - this is next to the Palace of Culture. Lensoviet, as well as at the metro station "Chernaya Rechka". On the branches of the Nutcracker, be sure to find the hero of the same name in the famous Christmas story. There will be three such "forest beauties" in the city: on Vosstaniya Square, Academician Likhachev Square (exit from the Birzhevoy Bridge) and at the Gorkovskaya metro station.

"Cones" with chocolate and real cones will be installed on Truda Square, Voznesenskaya Embankment and on Bolshoy Prospekt of the Petrogradskaya Side at the intersection with Rybatskaya Street.

Well, we admire the Christmas tree “Bows and Candles” at four addresses at once. These are Vladimirskaya, St. Isaac's and Manezhnaya Squares, as well as Millionnaya Street not far from the Field of Mars.

But the main spruce of St. Petersburg on the Palace will be last year. Its openwork decoration was recognized as successful and appropriate to the surroundings of the square. However, it will not do without "new things": special light consoles will be placed on the lighting poles of the square.

You won't have to go far for beautiful photos during the holidays. Saltykovsky Square - located near the walls of the Hermitage on the side of Palace Passage - will turn into a real photo zone. Having taken a selfie in the very heart of St. Petersburg, you can plunge into the atmosphere of the beginning of the 20th century for a second. After all, the gallery of arches and light gates will completely repeat the unique lattice with a pattern of stylized acanthus leaves and imperial monograms. Once it separated the square from the roadway, and after the revolution it was moved to Stachek Avenue.

And in the square there will be an original light-dynamic fountain with a diameter of 23 meters! A similar one, by the way, will be next door, in the Alexander Garden.